1. Field of the Invention
This disclosure relates generally to customization of graphical user interfaces, and in particular but not exclusively, relates to customization of graphical user interfaces for channels and for other features available in an interactive video casting network.
2. Description of the Related Art
Graphical user interfaces (GUIs) are program interfaces that allow users to more easily communicate with their computers. Typical examples are the interfaces of the Microsoft Windows™ and Macintosh™ operating systems that utilize icons, windows, menus, pointers, and other graphical elements. This visual interface eliminates the need for the user to enter complex text-based commands to run applications, since such GUIs typically provide “point and click” functionality. The Microsoft Windows™ GUI, as well as those of other operating systems, groups the icons together in a “desktop” that simulates a desktop environment. Users can move icons around the desktop and create icons for files, windows, commands, etc.
Add-on software exists for Microsoft Windows™ that allows the user to use a theme to change the appearance of the GUI. For example, a wallpaper (such as a picture or pattern that serves as a background for a web page or desktop) can be changed, as can icons, screen savers, mouse pointers, etc., according to user-selection of choices from a menu (e.g., space, travel, jungle, sports, and the like). An audio or graphics file that can change the appearance of the user interface is sometimes called a “skin.” When a skin is used or changed, the underlying functions of a program do not change—only the appearance of the user interface changes. Many skins can be downloaded from Internet sites that provide them free of charge.
Popular uses of skins include use with WinAmp, which is a media player for Microsoft Windows™. A WinAmp skin can change the appearance of the display, background, fonts, equalizer, control panel, sound of any tones, and other features of the media player display. A user can select from over 3,000 skins available from various Internet sites for WinAmp. Similarly, Odigo, which a cross-platform instant messaging (IM) service, offers a pop-up window that can use various skins. For example, one skin for the IM window has a “soccer theme.” The entire window appears as a green soccer field, with the players in the middle as small characters labeled with the names of the user's IM “buddies.” Icons are customized to this theme (e.g., the icon for the volume control appears as a loudspeaker that is present on the soccer field).
The popularity of skins demonstrates that many users enjoy the use of personalized applications. Skins are also useful from a marketing perspective, as users are more likely to return to a service or site where they have invested time into customizing and choosing a skin, and have thus become familiar with the GUI due to the customization that they have performed. Unfortunately, however, skins are missing or very limited for many interactive applications that may be available via interactive television. Viewers watching television or multimedia often may not have an opportunity to customize a user interface because the option is unavailable—most customization for interactive television applications is primitive (e.g., the user's name might be displayed in a simplistic banner).
With the increasing popularity of interactive television and with the potentially large number of interactive applications, commerce and advertising opportunities, variety of content and subject matter, etc. that can be made available with interactive television, it will become increasingly important for advertisers, interactive television service providers, and other parties to attract and keep the viewer's attention. In other words, “stickiness” will become more difficult to attain due to the wide variety of subject matter competing for the viewer's attention and due to the limited customization capability of current systems (e.g., the viewer will not be inclined to stay with any particular service, since moving to another service may not necessarily have the inconvenience of requiring the viewer to re-set customization preferences).
Accordingly, improvements are needed in techniques for providing customized graphical user interfaces in interactive television systems.